Whole Foods Cambie jerk discussing housing the homeless

I was inside WF trying to get a donation of food for the homeless guy shivering under a tarp in front of the store at about 2pm Sunday Feb 10th. A very nice Indian man with an English accent had just given the man a hot chocolate and followed me into the store to ask what options exist for homeless people in Vancouver. I told him it sucks here for homeless people, when a tall caucasian man who said he worked for the city rudely interrupted to say I was wrong. He was incredibly hostile in a conversation which was all about trying to help the man outside and didn't want to hear about the reason this homeless man wasn't able to find a shelter (which I knew about). Instead, he bragged about how many more units of housing the city had built (I am aware that we are creating more modular housing, but in this circumstance - which he knew nothing about and would not listen to me- that did not help this homeless man). Put your ego aside and help or please don't interrupt a conversation. I was hoping to get contact details for the kind man with the English accent who wanted to help and this rude arrogant unhelpful interruption prevented that.

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Wakeup

Feb 11, 2019 at 6:09am

This city doesn’t suck to be homeless. The climate is great, the gives out free food, lots of social programs and if someone doesn’t want to be homeless there are jobs. It would suck to be homeless in a 3rd world country, or even Saskatchewan where it’s -40. Granted if you choose to be an addict being homeless sucks anywhere.

Samson

Feb 11, 2019 at 8:01am

So did you actually help the homeless guy or did you just act all self righteous and indignant and go back to your comfy life?

He works for City

Feb 11, 2019 at 8:30am

Of course he’s clueless to the homeless situation at ground zero. They all need to volunteer at one of their own city temporary shelters first before being allowed to join City payroll...

Anonymous

Feb 11, 2019 at 10:06am

why do u keep mentioning race?

Anonymous

Feb 11, 2019 at 2:15pm

lol you're just a big baby.

@wakeup

Feb 11, 2019 at 5:26pm

as someone who was once homeless in a warm climate, you have no idea what you're talking about. unless by choice, being homeless anywhere sucks.

@ wakeup

Feb 11, 2019 at 6:26pm

Oh it sucks to be homeless anywhere. Just picture waking up with no where to wash shit brush your teeth etc etc etc. Please give your head a few shakes and these social programs are bullshit. Also a lot of homeless are severely mentally ill with trauma schizophrenia etc and are unemployable. So before you judge how great it is to be homeless in Vancouver go give it a try for a couple weeks

Ugh

Feb 12, 2019 at 5:38am

I’m so sick of this “boot strap” mentality that says homeless people “choose” to be homeless. “Addicts choose to be addicted”. When you live in a system that values educated, enabled bodied, white men, where do you even have a chance to get out from underneath all of that? How many employers hire people for meaningful jobs without a fixed address? And how many of those employers will hire someone who doesn’t “look” well-groomed, clean, and put together? And if you have mental health/addictions on top of that, good luck!

There are incredible barriers out there for homeless folks and they don’t need your “well if you just applied yourself...” bullshit! Let’s focus on dismantling the system that discriminated against them in the first place! Let’s deal with trauma, and addressing ableism, racism, colonialism, and all the other forms of oppression that keep the homeless firmly where they are without much chance of moving up. And in addition to all that, yes, give them a hot beverage and a smile when you see them outside on a cold day.

@@ wakeup

Feb 12, 2019 at 8:41am

That's not how it is in Vancouver, you get to use community centers, the showers at the public pools, etc.

Most homeless men never had anyone take care of them.

20 7Rating: +13

@Ugh

Feb 12, 2019 at 10:17am

You don't start off with a "meaningful job."

I started out selling lemonade on the corner, then I got a paper route, then I taught myself to program computers and have had meaningful work since.

The problem is the entitlement mentality---you work your way up. I did it, but most people feel entitled to start somewhere they choose, rather than what reality gives them.

If your goal in life is to complain about how reality victimizes you, good luck! Maybe you can be a pawn in some Poverty Pimp's welfare state grantwriting scheme!

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